Church denominations unite for baptisms at TN city pool

Jul. 17, 2013

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Written by

Caleb Whitmer

and Bob Smietana

Community baptisms held in Waynesboro city pool: Several churches in Waynesboro, Tenn., came together to put on a community baptism at the city's pool on July 17, 2013. About 25 people were baptized as over 200 people came to watch the event.

Kerry Franks, top, Green River Baptist Church youth pastor, and pastor Cal Hampton baptize Linda Stutts at the city pool in Waynesboro, Tenn. The service marked the first joint baptism involving more than one church at the pool. / Sanford Myers / The Tennessean

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WAYNESBORO, TENN. — It was still hot outside Wednesday night when the people of Waynesboro gathered on Donohue Drive to watch their friends and neighbors get baptized in the city pool.

A light rain began to fall on Cal Hampton, the pastor of Green River Baptist Church, as he welcomed the crowd of about 200 attending the Christian service in near-90-degree heat.

Church of God pastor Tommy Burke joined Hampton at the pool to share in the joint baptism service.

Hampton said Wednesday’s baptism is part of an ongoing effort within the county — the coming together of its churches.

“I wouldn’t really call it an ecumenical movement, but it’s more a family of God movement,” Hampton said. “I’m Baptist to the bone, but really, we’re all a member of one church.”

Before the event, several pastors said they weren’t worried about doctrinal differences between the denominations.

“For these community events ... we’re not going to knock each other,” Burke said of the Church of God.

Melvin Purvis, pool manager for the city of Waynesboro, also attends Green River Baptist Church. He said several local churches had used the pool for baptisms in the past. But Wednesday night was the first time the churches had held a joint baptism.

“We’ll let anyone get baptized down here who wants to,” he said. “It has nothing to do with promoting any specific church. We are here to serve the community.”

A choir, dressed in street clothes, stood on bleachers near the deep end. Someone handed out a makeshift song book — copies of church hymns on several sheets of paper stapled together — so the spectators could sing along.

After a prayer and a few songs, Hampton, wearing a white robe, climbed down the ladder into the shallow end of the pool. “Baptism is a coming-out party. You’ve got to go public with Jesus,” Hampton told the people.

Those who wanted to follow Jesus eased down the ladder to join Hampton and then Burke. Some wore robes; others had on T-shirts and shorts. Then the rain stopped, and the preachers immersed the believers.

In all, 20 men, women and children were baptized at the service in this Wayne County town.

The Waynesboro pool is usually closed to the public on Wednesday night, when a local group home uses the pool. That group switched nights this week.

Purvis said the pool tries to accommodate any outside group that wants to use it.

Jeff Lovingood, the next-generations pastor at Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, said it is common for churches to hold baptism events in the summer.

They often follow vacation Bible school or other similar church camps, especially for churches that practice what’s known as believer’s baptism — the idea that people have to consciously commit to following Jesus before they can be baptized by immersion.

That’s why Baptists do not baptize infants.

“We don’t believe baptism saves you,” Lovingood said. “It’s more like making a public statement — like putting on your team’s jersey.”